Kusidong Isda

This is the Bicolano-style of Sinabawang Isda, its simple yet delicious! Kusidong Isda is a simple Filipino fish soup dish simply cooked in water alongside aromatics such as ginger, garlic, and shallots together with balaw, tomatoes and a citrus called calamansi.

Given that my mom and my grandparent were from Bicol most of the dishes I grew up with are usually cooked with coconut milk which we call “gata”, food like laing, ginataang kamoteng kahoy, kandingga, kinunot and ginataang tulingan are common daily food items. Now you it may seem that all dishes that are coming out from Bicol are cooked with coconut milk, while majority are, not all Bicolano dishes use coconut milk and our recipe for today is one perfect example, the Kusidong Isda.

The word Kusido is from the Spanish “cocido” which mean “cooked” pertaining to “boiled meat and vegetables”. In Bicol, on the other hand, “cocido” or “kusido” refers to a dish where fish and vegetables are boiled in liquid. It is as simple as it is defined, basically any fish can be used and cooked in water spiced with aromatics, simple flavours of salt and pepper and some sort of citrus like kalamansi. It is an exceptionally light and refreshing meal like sinigang, perfect with steamed rice and that’s pretty much it.